Russia, China Bolster Relationship During Beijing Olympics
If there is one thing that could truly and irrevocably rock the global boat, it would be a sincere sense of alliance between Russia and China.
The two nations have long understood the ancient friction between them, and have done their damnedest to avoid turning this historical lesson into a modern day dust-up. Now it appears as though this complacence is turning into cooperation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met before the start of the Olympics, issuing a joint statement showing a united front against the expansion of NATO.
Advertisement - story continues belowAs Russia has amassed thousands of troops on the Ukrainian border, it has demanded Ukraine not be let into NATO and for Western countries to remove military equipment in eastern Europe. China echoed those sentiments on Friday.
The agenda of their meeting had some heavy anti-western undertones.
“The parties oppose the further expansion of NATO, [and] call on the North Atlantic Alliance to abandon the ideological approaches of the Cold War,” the joint statement from the two leaders said, The Associated Press reported.
The statement also addressed Taiwan, declaring the democratically-ruled island part of China and denouncing calls for its independence.
And then, a bit more obtusely:
“Some forces representing a minority on the world stage continue to advocate unilateral approaches to resolving international problems and resort to military policy,” the statement says.
Along with showing support for the top issues the two countries are facing with the international community, Putin and Xi reaffirmed the cordial relationship between the nations.
Chinese state media reported Xi saying in the meeting that the countries “strongly support each other” in a “complex and evolving international situation” that involves “regional security threats” and “international strategic stability,” according to the AP.
The meeting comes amid renewed concerns that Russia is planning to invade Ukraine; something that would trigger a swift and ferocious international response.
